Equality & Diversity Policy

Policy

WEC Alarms is committed to ensuring that the services we provide are relevant to the needs of all sections of the community and that the balance of our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities that we serve.

We aim to ensure that our services meet the varied individual needs and expectations of elderly and younger disabled people and that they have equal access to services, regardless of their race, heritage, culture, class, gender, religious or non-religious belief, nationality, creed, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation.

We recognise that services must be relevant, responsive and sensitive and that the organisation must be perceived as fair and equitable in its provision of services by our service users, by our partners, employees and the wider community. We aim to ensure that our contractors and others who deliver our services also share our vision and values.

We recognise that we work in a richly diverse community and understand the strategic importance of achieving a diverse workforce, which reflects that community. We undertake to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people by valuing the varied skills and experiences they bring to WEC Alarms; by investing in their learning and development, by treating staff fairly and equitably; by combating harassment and discrimination at work, and by encouraging an honest and open culture which values the differences between us.

Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000

Equalities Procedure

To promote equal treatment of all people in all aspects of our work and to ensure that we comply with or improve upon UK legislative requirements.

Employment

Flexible working opportunities to ensure the broadest possible catchment of essential applicants (both internal and external) of suitable caliber. These flexible methods of working will be considered dependent on service needs.

Advertising for suitably qualified candidates for a job role. This will be conducted internally as well as externally in order to provide an equal opportunity for all interested persons to apply. In areas where monitoring has identified an under-representation of particular groups, managers would be expected to place particular emphasis upon encouraging applications from under represented groups.

Recruitment will be conducted according to the terms of the Recruitment and Selection Policy.

Learning and Development will be designed to support the aims of Equality and Diversity initiatives. All employees will be appraised annually and there will be positive encouragement to discuss suitable learning and development opportunities, focusing on looking forwards. We will actively encourage staff to take up training opportunities.

Contractors

WEC Alarms' policy being communicated to all contractors and service providers. We expect major contractors to have equal opportunities policies that conform to WEC Alarms' expectations in terms of their approach to equal opportunities and those smaller contractors sign up to WEC Alarms’ policy.

Other Policies

All policies are designed to promote equal opportunity and protection for all clients and employees.

WEC Alarms is also committed to ensuring that it recognises cross-cultural differences. To this end WEC Alarms acknowledges different religious / festival requirements and aims to take steps to accommodate reasonable requests for annual leave during such periods.

Responsibilities

We define the responsibilities of elements of WEC Alarms as a whole

Having a statutory duty not to discriminate

Communicating its policy to:

- contractors and other agencies;

- clients;

- employees (current and potential)

Translating documents, as appropriate and on reasonable request, by which the policy can be communicated to people for whom English is not their first or second language

Reproducing documents, as appropriate and on reasonable request, in a suitable format by which the policy can be communicated to people who are visually impaired.